PNW WEB SITE: If you haven’t looked at the site, please do so, there is a section called Membership Management System. This will allow a person or club to log into their account and make changes to their address, phone, or family situation. However, you need to give Edward Campbell (the Web Master) the name of your club contact person so he can get it set up. Your log in pass word and ID will not be the same as the one you have to access the PNW’s Web site. Please check it out.

CLUB POWER/WE DID IT: Nothing new to report at this time.

JUNIOR JEEPERS: No report.

PR: No report. Kelda is sending out alerts etc.

TRAIL JAMBOREE Chairman Sid Hagemeier (Shindig Wheelers) reported that this coming week-end April 15-17 would be the annual clean-up at Jim Sprick Park. Sid read a list of jobs we will be working on with the community. Hobo Stew will be served at noon so please bring something to add to the stew; no more than 2 cups prepared and ready to add. The region will provide bowls, spoons, meat balls, little smokies, rolls and butter. There will also be a pot luck at 5 PM (the Nile Community will provide tableware, beverages, hamburgers, hot dogs and buns) please bring a dish to share. Sid will have a meeting with the Trail Hosts in the afternoon following the clean-up. Sid said he had asked Clay Graham (Yakima Kittitas Forest Watch) to take pictures and be our official photographer at Trail Jamboree. Sid is hoping to have each host team write up an article on one of the trails they host at Jamboree and submit it to Tri-Power.

LAND MATTERS:
Juniper Dunes: Doug Conner (Roamin’ Chariots) reported the latest on Juniper that he had received from Tim Fife, Franklin County Public Works Director/County Engineer) was that everything is in place on their side to complete an application and receive a $700,000 grant from BLM to complete Peterson Road. BLM is doing the paperwork on their side to make the grant available and they anticipate having their portion complete by April 1st. They can’t begin any of the Preliminary Engineering and Environmental process until the funding is available. If they can get access to the funds in April as planned, they believe this project could be completed in 2011 subject to unforeseen right-of-way or environmental issues that they have not anticipated.

Director Earl Nettnin encouraged everyone to sign up for CLOUT. When you are signed up you will get an e-mail notice when things in the legislature are happening in your district letting you know that you need to take urgent action immediately because your legislators are going to be involved in something that will affect your OHV use. Sign up at CLOUT@GETCLOUT.ORG. Be sure to put CLOUT in the subject line and ask to be signed up, they just need your name and voting zip code.

Earl said if you follow the legislature, today is the last day to consider opposite house bills at 5 PM, (except for initiatives and alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, differences between the houses, and matters incident to the interim and closing of the session.) April 24 is the last day for the regular session. Still no word on access fees or vehicle access passes.

Ron Rutherford (Jeepin’ Nomads) had a written report on the Wenas. He said they reviewed the issues since the seasonal closure last December. Some of the land owners gave their reports with nothing new except a few issues with some 4-wheel drive vehicles going along a fence line and onto closed roads. Two illegal wood cutters were apprehended in December cutting live green pine trees on private land in the Wenas, end of Maloy road. One item of concern to the DNR Southeast region is the proposed closure of motorized trails in the Naches District until June 15th. DNR feels this will increase the use on their trails and cause problems. They will be monitoring this years’ activities before making any changes to next years use. All Wheels Off Road and Ahtanum Forest Watch Volunteers will be in the Ahtanum over Memorial Day Weekend working with the users and doing E & E.

Nothing new on the Bald Mountain land purchase.

TWIG meeting was changed from the first Tuesday to the second Tuesday this month. So they are having a meeting as we speak. Several of our members are attending this meeting. The biggest item for discussion is the proposed trail closure in the Naches until June 15th. Update from the TWIG meeting –
Naches will be closed to all motorized; a written statement will be out by early next week.

Chain Saw training class will be held April 16, and April 30. If you plan to attend, please contact Sue Ranger as class size is limited to 15. E-mail her at sranger@fs.fed.us or 509-653-1446.

No one attending our Region meeting had attended either of the Planning Rule public forums in the Pacific Northwest. However, written comments will be accepted until May 16, 2011 and only written comments will become part of the permanent record for further development of the proposed Planning Rule. If you make a comment let them know that you would like to see multiple use because that includes everyone.

No new information on the development of an ORV trail access in the city of Tieton. They are hoping to develop 26 acres into an ORV trail head and open the city streets for ORV use.

Discussion on the seasonal closure in the CleElum Ranger district followed. Mikki Douglass (CleElum Ranger District) issued a report stating it would be a “flexible date” closure, and trails would be posted. She also said you need to look at the web site CleElumTrails.com for a complete listing of the trails that are closed.

RTP (Recreational Trails Program) is facing cuts. Information came today with an April 14th deadline urging us to contact our representatives and ask them to sign on the letter from Thomas Petri and Michael Michaud in support of the continuation of the RTP. RTP funding is provided by taxes on fuel paid into the Highway Trust Fund by users of off-highway recreational vehicles. The fastest way to do this is by telephone, so don’t delay.

OLD BUSINESS:
Moses Lake Sand Dunes clean-up was attended by about 35 – 40 people. It was a little disappointing that they didn’t have a dumpster like they had been promised; they have a new Sheriff and no ORV Deputies to patrol the area because of lack of funds. They had no place to drop off the garbage.

The Slab Clean-up March 26th was organized by Clay Graham (Yakima Kittitas Forest Watch). Clay posted pictures on the web site, if you haven’t seen them you might want to check them out.

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NEW BUSINESS:
A Flyer for Fall Delegates was passed out. Fall Delegates is September 10th in Rainier, WA at the Rainier Sportsman’s Club and hosted by the Rainier Ruffians. Directions to the meeting in Moses Lake at Liberty Off Road were also handed out.

CLUB REPORTS:
Desert Rats: had a fishing trip to the Tucannon the end of March; they had a good time Gary Harting caught the most fish. Some members attended the Moonshiners Swap Meet in March; they are planning a trip to the Rubicon hosted by the Wine Country Rock Crawlers in California, we hosted them up here last year in September and they are returning the favor to us this September. We will be helping with Cool Desert Nights again doing security for the cruise. We are working on putting together a poker run by Halloween. We are hosting at Trail Jamboree. We received a nice check from Lithia Dodge/Jeep for providing Jeeps for their Show N Shine. Maggie Semmens 8 years old won a coloring contest; you can see her picture in Bronco Magazine #49 on page 12. Matt Schwisow and Katie Schwisow were the recipients of the PNW scholarship this year. Runs were called to Jim Sprick Park and the Liberty Work party.
Sand Commandos: had their annual Moses Lake Sand Dunes Clean-up with 35/40 people. They are helping Night Scare with a spaghetti feed the 30th of April for Relay for Life. They are starting to think about their Haunted House. They have a run planned to Banks Lake in June.
Hurtin’ Units: are busy helping get the Liberty Off Road shop ready for business. Owners of the shop are Lee Creiglow and Dave McMains. When the Region meets in Moses Lake that will be where our meetings will be held. They plan to attend the Liberty work party in May.
Shindig Wheelers: had a bowling party last month. They are planning a poker run August 27.
Peak Putters: had a run to the Ahtanum in February; March 5th had a snow run to the Blue Mountains, interesting time, lots of fun. They have a run planned this week-end called the Camp Schamp run and will camp at the Ahtanum Snow Park. May 21st plans are in the works for a poker run fund raiser.

Future Events:
1. Clean-up at Jim Sprick Park April 15th – 17th 2011
2. Beverly Dunes Clean-up May 7th.
3. Liberty Work party May 21st – May 30th. Mikki Douglass will serve a Chili feed at Liberty on May 21st to thank her volunteers.

Meeting adjourned at 9:20 PM

Respectfully Submitted
Sande Nettnin
Secretary/Treasurer

DIRECTIONS TO Liberty Off Road Shop, 9268 Beacon Road, Moses Lake, WA. Stay on High-Way 17 like you are going to Ephrata, when you get to Home Depot (they are on the left side of High-Way 17) you want to turn right onto Grape Drive and proceed to the yellow shop on the right and you are there.